Method and device for substrate processing

Abstract

There is provided a method for processing a substrate, comprising: preparing a substrate processing device including a rotatable stage on which a substrate is placed, a frozen heat transfer body fixed on a backside of the stage with a gap interposed therebetween and cooled to an extremely low temperature, a gas supply mechanism configured to supply to the gap a cooling gas for transferring a cold heat of the frozen heat transfer body to the stage, a rotation mechanism configured to rotate the stage, and a processing mechanism configured to process the substrate; preheating the stage such that a temperature of the stage reaches a steady cooling temperature within a fixed range; and after preheating, continuously processing a plurality of substrates by the processing mechanism while rotating the stage that has reached the steady cooling temperature in a state where a substrate having a specific temperature higher than or equal to room temperature is placed on the stage.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for processing a substrate, comprising:
 preparing a substrate processing device including a rotatable stage on which a substrate is placed, a frozen heat transfer body fixed on a backside of the stage with a gap interposed therebetween and cooled to an extremely low temperature, a gas supply mechanism configured to supply to the gap a cooling gas for transferring a cold heat of the frozen heat transfer body to the stage, a rotation mechanism configured to rotate the stage, and a processing mechanism configured to process the substrate; and 
 controlling the substrate processing device by a controller, 
 wherein the controller is configured to:
 cool the stage to an extremely low temperature by supplying the cooling gas to the gap between the stage and the frozen heat transfer body without the substrate being disposed on the stage, 
 after the stage is cooled to the extremely low temperature and before the the substrate is placed on the stage, preheat the stage to increase a temperature of the stage from the extremely low temperature to a steady cooling temperature within a fixed range that is greater than the extremely low temperature; and 
 after the stage is preheated to the steady cooling temperature, continuously process each of a plurality of substrates by the processing mechanism while rotating the stage that has reached the steady cooling temperature in a state where the substrate on the stage has a specific temperature higher than or equal to room temperature is placed on the stage. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein preheating comprises placing a dummy substrate having the same temperature as a temperature of the substrate on the stage thereby increasing the temperature of the stage, removing the cooling as from the gap, and performing dummy processing after the cooling gas is removed from the gap. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein preheating comprises performing dummy processing on one to three dummy substrates. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the dummy processing is performed under the same conditions as conditions of actual processing of the substrate. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein preheating comprises placing a dummy substrate having a temperature higher than a temperature of the substrate on the stage thereby increasing the temperature of the stage and performing dummy processing. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein preheating comprises removing the cooling gas from the gap. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein preheating comprises heating the stage using a heater. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the heater is a lamp heater disposed above the stage or a resistance heater disposed at the stage. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , wherein preheating comprises removing the cooling gas from the gap. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate processing is sputtering film formation in which sputtered particles from a target disposed above the stage in a vacuum chamber are deposited on the substrate in a vacuum state. 
     
     
       11. A device for processing a substrate, comprising:
 a rotatable stage on which a substrate is placed; 
 a frozen heat transfer body fixed on a backside of the stage with a gap interposed therebetween and cooled to an extremely low temperature; 
 a gas supply mechanism configured to supply to the gap a cooling gas for transferring cold heat of the frozen heat transfer body to the stage; 
 a rotation mechanism configured to rotate the stage; 
 a processing mechanism configured to process the substrate; and 
 a controller, 
 wherein the controller is configured to:
 cool the stage to an extremely low temperature by supplying the cooling gas to the gap between the stage and the frozen heat transfer body without the substrate being disposed on the stage, 
 after the stage is cooled to the extremely low temperature and before the the substrate is placed on the stage, preheat the stage to increase a temperature of the stage from the extremely low temperature to a steady cooling temperature within a fixed range that is greater than the extremely low temperature; and 
 after the stage is preheated to the steady cooling temperature, continuously process each of a plurality of substrates by the processing mechanism while rotating the stage that has reached the steady cooling temperature in a state where the substrate on the stage has a specific temperature higher than or equal to room temperature is placed on the stage. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The device of  claim 11 , wherein the controller controls the device such that the preheating is performed by placing a dummy substrate having the same temperature as a temperature of the substrate on the stage thereby increasing the temperature of the stage, the cooling gas is removed from the gap, and dummy processing is performed after the cooling gas is removed from the gap. 
     
     
       13. The device of  claim 12 , wherein the controller controls the device such that the preheating is performed by performing dummy processing on one to three dummy substrates. 
     
     
       14. The device of  claim 12 , wherein the controller controls the device such that the dummy processing is performed under the same conditions as conditions of actual processing of the substrate. 
     
     
       15. The device of  claim 11 , wherein the controller controls the device such that the preheating is performed by placing a dummy substrate having a temperature higher than a temperature of the substrate on the stage and performing dummy processing thereby increasing the temperature of the stage. 
     
     
       16. The device of  claim 15 , wherein the controller controls the device such that the preheating is performed after the cooling gas is removed from the gap. 
     
     
       17. The device of  claim 11 , wherein the controller controls the device such that the preheating is performed by heating the stage using a heater. 
     
     
       18. The device of  claim 17 , wherein the heater is a lamp heater disposed above the stage or a resistance heater disposed at the stage. 
     
     
       19. The device of  claim 17 , wherein the controller controls the device such that the preheating is performed in a state where the cooling gas is removed from the gap. 
     
     
       20. The device of  claim 11 , wherein the processing mechanism has a vacuum chamber accommodating the stage and a target accommodated in the vacuum chamber, and performs sputtering film formation in which sputtered particles from the target are deposited on the substrate in a vacuum state.